Next Saturday
by Lady-SM
Summary: COMPLETE! Exactly what it says on the tin. Claire and Bender are in detention again... bit of everything for everyone as long as you like those two.
1. Chapter 1

Here it is, my first attempt at a Breakfast Club Fanfic, and what a fantastic story to start from! I own nothing except Jaynee Doe and her storyline. T'is all the work of another. Please R&R, especially if I get something wrong like the time frame or Americanisms. I hate when people write path instead of sidewalk or something similar, so if I do it please tell me. And if you like it please tell me too. This story is planned out in full, and I intend to post it up over the next few days.

Claire Standish stepped out of her father's BMW in the most miserable mood imaginable. She didn't even say goodbye to her father who had failed to get her out of detention for the second week in a row. She just glared at the car as it pulled off and stood for a few moments staring after it before trudging up the steps and into school.

The library was quiet. She was the first one there. Sighing heavily, she took off her coat and laid it across the back of a chair, put her bag down on the table in front of her and sat down, resting her chin on her hands. She closed her eyes and tried to shut out the rest of the world for a few moments before anyone else came in. After a few moments of silence, she heard footsteps nearing the door and looked up in time to see a guy and girl walk in hand in hand. She recognised the girl as Amy Wright, her friend Chloe's younger sister, but she had never spoken to her. Claire found the energy to smile at Amy, though she didn't really know why. She had already committed social suicide plenty of times that week, just by speaking to her friends Brian and Allison. The attention had been temporarily diverted from her own social treason however, when Andy Clarke had been seen kissing Allison right outside the student parking lot, which was a far grosser breach of unspoken contract than what Claire had done.

Another kid entered the library, looking hung over and pissed off. Claire recognised him as another student from the year below her, he was on the track team or something, she knew she had seen him in school training early before. All three of the students had taken seats at the back of the room, whereas Claire had sat in the same place as she had done last week. She glanced over her shoulder but the three of them were already engaged in some conversation or other. There had been a party last night that they all seemed to have been to, but she had yet again been grounded due to her new found love of detentions. Her head snapped round when she heard the unmistakable sound of lockers being rattled, followed by the heavy thud of boots on the tiled floor. She tried to set her face into it's most unreadable expression as John Bender paraded into the room like a whirl wind.

Fully prepared for a confrontation, Claire was surprised when he walked right past her to the back of the room. He walked to the back desks and hammered out a rhythm on the vacant one beside Amy Wright's boyfriend before leaping over the desk and causing her to squeal with fright. Claire turned around at the sound and finally locked eyes with Bender, who put a hand over his heart in feigned shock.

"Why Princess," He said, his eyes wide and his voice like melted butter, "I didn't see you there." He pulled out the chair that Andy had occupied the previous Saturday and spun it round, sitting down and straddling it. "And how are we this fine morning?"

Claire turned her nose up at him, "Drop dead Bender." She said, turning to face the front. He wasn't put off. He sat for a few moments, tapping his thumbs on the back of the chair and humming quietly to himself until she turned to face him again. "Would you knock it off?" She asked, not feeling in the mood for his games.

Bended gradually slowed his tapping down and eventually stopped. He sat silently, staring at his hands. Claire relaxed for a moment, but soon became suspicious of his silence. She kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, but he just sat there, completely still. Then, so suddenly that Claire almost felt herself fly up out of her seat, he stood up and slid the chair across the floor. He soon sat down again in the chair right next to Claire.

"Did you miss me Cherry?" He asked, smirking. Claire tried to think of something cutting to say, but she didn't do it quick enough. "Ah, I get it." He stepped in. "There are no words to describe how much."

"Don't flatter yourself." She said, shaking her head and slapping his hand away which had begun to stroke up and down her thigh. She was trying her best to stay mad at him, and the fact that he was being so annoying about it was actually helping. She hadn't forgotten that he was the reason she was in detention in the first place, but she couldn't help feeling a little stab of pain when she saw that the diamond she had given him was missing from his ear.

Every head flicked up once more as another set off footsteps were heard coming down the hallway. Female this time, because they could her the click-click of stilettos on the tiles. The door, that Bender had tactfully slammed behind him, opened and sure enough, a girl walked in.

She strutted across the front line of desks and chose one right at the far edge of the front row. Claire noticed how Bender's eyes followed the girl's denim clad ass all the way across the room. He was really, really helping her to be mad at him. The girl pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, putting her feet up on the desk in front of her and crossing them. Bender watched her for a couple of moments more and then turned his attention back to Claire who had, by now, perfected the exact level of hatred for her eyes to shoot at him. He grinned at her, and Mr Vernon walked in.

"Alright you kids." He said, taking in every one of them in a sweeping glance of the room, "I'm not in the mood for any funny business today, so for the next eight hours I want you sitting in those exact seats, you hear me? No one, not one of you, is to move. Understand?"

Claire's hand shot into the air, "Excuse me Mr Vernon, if that's the case, would it be possible for me to move to a different seat before we get started?" She asked, as she felt Bender's fingers brushing against her skin once more.

"No that would not be possible Miss Standish," Vernon said, glaring at her for questioning his instructions for the second week in a row. "If you are unhappy with the seating arrangement it will give you more of an incentive to behave yourself next week." He cleared his throat. "Miss Doe, would you kindly remove your feet from the desk please?" The girl in the front complied, "I had hoped after your absence last week that you had learned your lesson about conduct in school Miss Doe, but I see it was merely a temporary glitch in an otherwise untarnished record of arrogance. And take off those sunglasses." The girl raised her hand slowly in front of her face so that her middle finger was raised. She paused it there for a second before using it to push her heavy sunglasses onto the top of her head. Her eyes were locked on Vernon, and he looked uneasy.

"Excuse me Dick," Bender said, raising his hand, "Will we be getting the opportunity to write another essay this week? Because I enjoyed my time here so thoroughly last week that it seems a shame that Miss Doe didn't get to share in the exercise. I personally felt fulfilled at the end of last weeks detention."

"No Bender, this week you'll sit in that chair and do absolutely nothing. And if you decide to do anything, anything at all, then you'll be sitting in the closet and doing nothing."

"Oh, are you not using your closet this week Sir? Because I was to understand that you were yet to come out of it." Despite herself, Claire had to cover her mouth to hide a giggle and turn it into a cough. The girl on the front row quite openly laughed out loud.

"That's enough from you Miss Doe, and thanks to Mr Bender's friendly suggestion, you will now find yourself writing the essay that you missed out on last week. As for you Bender, you're treading on thin ice here, you hear me? Any more of this and you've had it at this school, or any school for that matter."

"Ooo, you're breakin' my heart."

"I mean it Bender, there are plenty of teachers who'd love a reason to kick you out," Vernon pointed at Bender, "And I'd be more than happy to show you the exit." Claire saw the girl in the front row cock her head toward the two of them, watching the scene with interest.

"I've seen the exit thank you Dick, it's my favourite part of this place."

"I'm warning you Bender." Vernon was still pointing at him, emphasising his every word with another stab of his finger, and it was digging into Bender's patience.

"Oh I hear ya Dick, loud and clear. Only it's hard for me to translate Bullshit, being as linguistically challenged as I am."

"Right that's it Bender, one more word and I'll-"

"What?"

Claire glanced between them, seeing the anger in Vernon's face and the rebellion in Bender's eyes, she hissed at him; "Cut it out!" Bender stayed locked in a glare with Vernon, his nostrils flaring. Claire couldn't be sure if he even heard her. Under the desk, she put her hand on his knee to try and calm him down. Mad as she was, she didn't want him to be thrown out of the library for good.

As soon as her hand touched brushed against the fabric of his jeans the look in his eyes changed. His gaze left Vernon and travelled down at the table, as if he could see through it to the scene underneath. Then he looked up at Claire and met her eyes properly for the first time. She looked serious, and was silently begging him to stay quiet.

"I mean it." His eyes snapped back to Vernon. "One more word and I'll have you out of this school. You'll never darken another detention hall again." Claire saw his hand ball into a fist underneath the table and moved her hand from his knee to cover it. "Come on Bender, just say the word. Any word, I'll have you out of here before you can say another." Vernon was provoking him, and every one in the room knew it. Claire squeezed his hand firmly, so that he turned to face her instead again. That was when he saw that she was still wearing that one diamond stud earring. Vernon was still ranting, but Bender couldn't hear him. He was mesmerised by the girl holding his hand under the table, and looked straight into her eyes, his frustration still evident. She didn't need to say anything, but her wide eyes and secret smile were enough. He took in that look for a tiny moment more, and turned his attention back to Vernon who had worked himself up until he was blue in the face. Bender just stared pleasantly at him and waited for him to finish. "Well?" He demanded at last, "I said, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The whole room seemed to hold it's breath. The girl in the front row sat bolt upright and stared at Claire, who caught her eye and then averted her gaze back to John.

"I'm very sorry." Bender said, solemnly. Vernon looked victorious for a split second before realising that he couldn't throw someone out of school for apologising.

"What did you say?"

"I said; I'm very sorry. Dick." Bender gritted his teeth slightly as he repeated it, but the glint of Claire's earring in the corner of his eye kept him calm. Vernon opened and closed his mouth for a few seconds before turning away, knowing he had been beaten. He turned to the girl on the front row who was staring open mouthed at Bender.

"Miss Doe, I expect one thousand words on who you think you are by the end of the day. The rest of you, keep your mouths shut." And at that, he strode out of the room, slamming the door to his office behind him that the janitor had neglected to fix.

An eerie silence descended on the room. Bender's eyes were still locked on the door, and Claire let go of his hand. The girl in the front row stood up and clicked over to Bender's desk, standing in front of him, forcing his eyes to notice her. His gaze travelled up her body to her face. Her mouth was still open.

"What-the-fuck?"

Whaddya think? I was cautious about adding an OC, but at least she's intriguing. R&R. PLEASE!


	2. Chapter 2

Howdy ho fanficcers! Thanks for all the great reviews! Many questions will be answered in this chapter and many more posed. I feel the need to explian that this story is setting up for a massive one that I am planning out that incorporates all the members of TBC, but also Jaynee Doe, so if anyone is thinking 'argh! It's a scary OC stealing the limelight!' don't worry, it'll all become apparent later on. She is important to the flow of the next story.

"What- the-fuck?" She demanded, eyes flickering between Bender and Claire. Bender seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance he was in, and frowned defensively.

"What?" He said, as the girl put her hands on her hips.

"You're _very sorry?_ Since when have you ever- I mean- Bender!" She threw up her hands in despair. One of the boys at the back of the room muttered something about Vernon hearing her. "Shut your mouth Jock Strap." She snapped. She turned back to Bender, shaking her head, and began to laugh.

"What's so fucking funny Jaydee?" He demanded, shaking Claire off his arm. The girl raised her eyebrows and glanced at Claire, as if seeing her for the first time.

"Oh! Oh, I get it. _This _is the source of your new found riches." She nodded to Claire. "The _Diamond _girl."

Claire's hand shot up to her own ear instinctively, covering her earring. Bender slammed his fists down on the table, all of his anger bursting out of him in a fit of rage.

"Shut your mouth!" He yelled, not caring whether Vernon heard or not. The girl, Jaydee as he called her, set her mouth in a line and went back to her seat leaving him seething. Claire looked down at her feet. Bender stayed standing for a moment before storming off to the back of the Library and climbing up onto the platform where he had escaped to the week before.

Claire didn't go after him. She was still mad at him for getting her caught out of lessons on Thursday. But after a while she began to feel Jaydee's eyes boring into the side of her head. She turned her head to look at her.

"What?" She asked, screwing up her nose at the girl. She hadn't ever seen her before, not to her knowledge. _You don't know my friends, you don't look at my friends. _

"Did you slip him a sedative or something?" Jaydee asked, ignoring the fact that the other girl was clearly looking down on her torn denim jacket and day old makeup.

"Who?"

"Who do you think?" Jaydee glanced behind her and scooted along to sit on the desk that had just been vacated by Bender. "I thought Vernon had him for sure."

"Yeah well." Claire didn't know what to think of the girl sat on the desk in front of her, but she could feel the eyes of the 'richies' on the back row on her back.

"You're Claire Standish, right?" Jaydee said conversationally, folding up the paper Vernon had given her for the essay into a paper plane and throwing it at the door. "I've seen you around of course."

"Have you?" Claire said, not at all surprised but trying to sound a little polite at least.

"Yeah. I'm Jaynee." She stuck out her hand which was laden with various metal bands and a skull ring. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." Claire shook it carefully.

"Jaynee? As in Jayne? Doe?" Claire didn't believe her for a second.

"Yeah, I know. It's my real name, honest. If I'd made it up I would have chosen something better." Jaydee, or Jay_nee _rolled her eyes. "So you're the reason John's been all distant and moody this week then." Claire looked confused. "Yeah, we're friends. It's a love hate relationship." Claire felt her stomach clench at the mention of the words love and relationship, remembering the way Bender had stared at her ass when she walked in. Jaynee craned her neck to see where Bender was. He was sat against the wall at the top of the room, violently carving something into the railing with a pen. "So you gonna go up there and give him some sugar then? Make the bad boy feel better?"

Claire wrinkled her nose. "No." She said, "I'm still mad at him. I just didn't want him to loose it just then."

"Why you mad at him?" Jaynee asked, twirling a strand of her long dark hair around her fingers. Claire hesitated. She didn't particularly want to talk to Jaynee, but then she hadn't wanted to talk to Allison last week either, and on Wednesday they had spent the evening shopping together and she'd had the most fun ever.

"Because it's his fault I'm here. I made the effort to skip fourth period to talk to him on Thursday, because we'd hardly spoken all week, and he yelled at me and made such a fuss that on my way back to class Vernon caught me and gave me detention for cutting class again."

"Why'd he yell?"

"Do you always ask this many questions?"

"Yes."

Claire sighed. "Okay. He got mad because he said I'd only speak to him if my friends weren't around to see."

"Well, would you speak to him in front of your friends?" Jaynee asked,

"I tried!" Claire protested. "But… well I guess I could have made more of an effort. But it's hard… being… well…"

"Popular?" Jaynee offered. Claire nodded, ashamedly. "I get it. I mean, I think it's pretty shitty to choose popularity over friendship… or whatever's going on between you two, but I get it. John's not exactly sung your praises down at the Bleachers this week either."

"No?" Claire was disappointed, but could hardly expect anything else. "Did he say anything about me?"

"Not about you. The guys noticed the earring though. At least, when it was there on Monday. It was gone by Tuesday." Jaynee said thoughtfully. Claire frowned.

"He took it out then." She said, quietly.

"I don't know what happened, no one mentioned it. Mind you, I know I wouldn't wear anything like that around John's house, if I had anything like that." Jaynee sighed, "Has he… you know… said anything about…"

"His father?" Claire asked. Jaynee nodded. "Yeah, a little. You think maybe he took it?"

"No. There'd be more damage."

"Damage?" Claire looked horrified. She hadn't thought of what trouble her gift might have brought Bender, she'd only thought of herself when she saw he wasn't wearing it.

"Don't say I said anything, but I'm not thick. I can tell something's up when he wears long sleeved shirts in the blazing heat, or when he walks into school all stiff and pained. His father's a jerk, and John wouldn't give that earring up without a fight. If he'd taken it, he'd have had to tear it right out."

Claire shuddered, and glanced over her shoulder at the miserable figure up against the railings. She caught Amy Wright's eye as well, who had apparently been mid-gossip. Claire hesitated for a second before standing up and walking right past her familiars on the back row and climbing ungracefully up the makeshift staircase to the higher level where Bender was slumped against the wall. She tucked her skirt underneath her and sat cross legged opposite him.

"What'd she say?" He asked her. Claire was surprised, and responded lightly.

"Nothing. She's nice." Bender snorted. "So what do you consider her?" Claire asked, getting straight to the point.

"What's it to you?" He shot back, still angry at Vernon. He was finding it difficult to control his temper. Claire felt her blood boil, but as she looked into his angry eyes she could see something that she had never noticed before. There was a vulnerability there that could only be seen by some one who knew it was there. Some one in their Breakfast Club. She saw this sadness now and resolved to stay calm. She owed that to him.

"I just want to know." She said, quietly. Her levelness seemed to calm him too, and he answered finally.

"She's a friend." _And you certainly wouldn't condescend to talk to my friends. _"I'm finding it difficult to… consider anyone… else. At the moment." He said, his voice a barely audible mumble. Claire smiled despite herself.

"I'm still mad at you." She said. "For getting me stuck in here."

"Yeah, I guess it's my fault." He said. "Still, at least now you get to hang out with your favourite juvenile delinquent, right Cherry?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "Right." She looked down at her hands which were crossed in her lap. "Um… I'm sorry I ignored you on Monday morning. I wasn't prepared for… well. I guess I don't have much of an excuse. But you'll be happy to know that half my friends have deserted me because I spoke to you on Tuesday. And Brian and Allison too."

"I'm not happy you lost your friends Princess," Bender said, "But you should be because they were all assholes." He shifted so one of his legs was extended, and his foot brushed against hers. "I'm still mad at you too you know."

"What for?" She asked, confused. Hadn't he just accepted her apology? He chuckled to himself, and suddenly took up a great interest in the pattern of the floor tiles.

"Ever since last Saturday, I've felt… weird. It's your fault." She didn't say anything, but waited for him to continue. "I know there's no chance of anything happening, and normally I wouldn't care but… damn it, you've done something to me."

"Who said there was no chance of anything happening?" She asked. He looked up in surprise.

"You did, Cherry. Remember? Then I called you a bitch."

"Well…" Claire shifted, "That was before the closet… and the…" Her hand nervously reached for her earring and fiddled with it. "And the kiss." She said finally.

Bended raised an eyebrow, "Why Claire, does this mean you're inviting me to the party?"

Claire looked confused, "What party?"

"The party in your panties."

"Ew! Bender you're such a gross pig!" Claire tucked her skirt further into her lap and edged away from him slightly in disgust.

"John." He said, still grinning at the effect his words had had on her. She looked up at him when he spoke, still scowling.

"What?"

His expression turned slightly softer. "John. Not Bender. I like it when you call me John."

She shifted closer to him so that she could whisper in his ear. Bender felt his heart skip a beat, just like it had that last Saturday when she had kissed him in the closet. He could feel her breath on his skin making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as she leaned in closer.

"You're such a gross pig… John." She whispered, before sliding past him and scurrying back to her seat without another word. Bender sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. He glanced in her direction but her back was turned. Jaynee was looking at him sceptically from underneath her shades. He shrugged his shoulders at her and climbed back down to the ground. At that moment the door opened and Vernon burst in, his eyes shining, ready to catch someone doing something they shouldn't. He was disappointed to see most people in their seats, but his eyes lit up on Bender stood at the back of the room.

"Mr Bender, what do you think you're doing out of your seat? I specifically said no one was to move." He demanded. Bender walked back to his seat cheerfully.

"My humblest apologies Dick," He said, pulling out his chair and stretching out on it, "I was merely stretching my legs. There are so many dangers to sitting still for extended periods of time. Muscle cramps for example." He caught Claire's eye, "Why I can feel a muscle spasm as we speak." He grinned at her, and looked pointedly at his own lap. Claire looked disgusted. Vernon was about to interject when Jaynee beat him to it.

"He's right Sir. I read in the nurses office that you should stretch your legs at least once every hour or your blood can stop pumping round your body and cause clots or something." She said. "I'm sure you must understand Sir, the poster said there's increased risk for people over fifty."

Vernon turned purple. "That's enough, from the _both _of you." He said, his blood pressure rising. "Miss Doe, your essay appears to be unfinished."

"That's impossible Sir. I'd have to have started it for it to be unfinished."

"Which is all the more reason for you to stop acting like a child and get on with it. The rest of you, stay in your damn seats, or the next time I come in here, I'm cracking skulls." And with that he left. Jaynee laughed.

"Crackin' skulls," She chuckled to herself. "You'd think after this long he'd think of something original." She turned around in her seat, "Hey Jockstrap, you got a light?" Amy's boyfriend looked up in surprise.

"No I don't. And you're not smoking in here." He said forcefully, causing his airhead girlfriend to swoon slightly.

"Wanna bet?" Jaynee muttered. "Bender," She turned to him, "Light?"

Bender laced his fingers and put them behind his head like a pillow. "What have you got?"

Jaynee rolled her eyes. "None of that shit." She said, firmly. "I gave it up." Bender raised his eyebrows.

"When?"

"Three weeks ago or something." She took a bag of tobacco out of her pocket and started to roll a cigarette. "Benny cut me off."

"Why'd he do that?"

"Because I told him to." She paused to lick the edge of the paper to stick it together. "That shit does nothing for me anymore man, just fucks me up." She stuck the end of the cigarette in her mouth and held out her hand expectantly. "Light?"

Bender reached into his pocket for his wallet. He dug around in it until he found an unused match and threw it to Jaynee. She caught it deftly and struck it on the zip of her boot so it blazed up instantly. She lit the end of the cigarette and shook the flame out.

"You're so not smoking that in here." 'Jockstrap' said again, standing up. "Vernon'll come in and we'll all get shit for it. I'm not spending another weekend in here. I got a game next Saturday, and I'm not letting you burners wreck my chances of playing."

"Are you feeling a slight sense of déjà vu?" Bender asked Claire. Jaynee had stood up and walked slowly to the back of the room while the boy was giving his speech. As she reached his desk she took a deep drag on the cigarette and blew all of the smoke in his face. He slammed his hands on his desk and looked like he was going to leap at her.

"You fucking whore!" He yelled.

"Hey, second hand smoke kills, bitch!" Amy squealed, spluttering overdramatically.

"Oh pipe down princess and go tell someone who gives a shit." Jaynee turned back to the boy. "You think you can take me Sporto? Give it a fucking shot because I've had a tough night and I could use some amusement right about now."

"You're full of shit. You stand there shooting your mouth off because you know I won't hit you 'cos you're a girl."

Jaynee stood her ground. "I've been beat on my plenty of your gym buddies before you fucking prick, don't make out you got morals just because of your bitch there. You wanna take a shot at me then try it. I'll nail you to the fucking door frame."

"I'm not going to hit you so just back off and go smoke someplace else." The boy ordered, "No one gives a shit what you're saying."

At this point Bender, who had stayed pleasantly quiet watching the show, got to his feet. "I give a shit." He said, stepping forward. "You don't got your buddies around to stick up for you now Sporto. If she wants to shoot her mouth off, how exactly are you gonna stop her? You know if Jaynee speaks, there's more people in hear gonna listen then if you said anything."

"You know what Bender, I'm not gonna hit her but if you don't shut your mouth-"

"What? What are you gonna do?" Bender was trying his best to provoke him, and it was working. The boy, they didn't even know his name, leapt clean over the desk and slammed into Bender. Claire gasped and Amy screamed.

The boy hit home with one punch, clear to the side of Bender's face. He grunted in pain but managed to shove the boy off him and get to his feet and deliver a nice knock to his shoulder. Jaynee was laughing uncontrollably at the whole scene, and the boy suddenly turned to her with a look of pure hatred in his eyes. Jaynee stopped laughing and he lunged at her.

Everything happened in less than a second. Bender saw what the Jock was doing and went after him, grabbing the back of his jacket just as his hands caught hold of Jaynee's shoulders. Bender was about to pull him off her and do as much damage to him as was humanly possible, but Jaynee managed to get a perfect aim and took her chance. Moments later, the Jock was doubled over in pain and Amy had rushed over to his aid. Jaynee's stiletto heel sparkled in the daylight, her leg still extended as it had been on impact.

"And that, my friend, is the _real _reason guys don't hit girls." She said, going back to her seat with a grin on her face. Bender chuckled to himself and turned away as well, rubbing the side of his face gingerly.

A/N Please don't get mad at me for all the Jaynee stuff!


	3. Chapter 3

The hours passed tediously. After the fight, Vernon had come storming back into the room but everyone was already back in their seats and no one seemed willing to divulge what had happened because they knew it meant one of their friends getting into trouble. As a result, Vernon had relocated temporarily to a desk in the library where he could keep an eye on everyone. Between them, Bender and Jaynee managed to whistle the guitar riff from Smoke on the Water a grand total of eleven times before Vernon finally caught Jaynee hitting the last note. He ranted at her for a good few minutes trying to get a rise out of her but Jaynee had much more self control than Bender, and just sat and watched him go until her eyes glazed over.

While Vernon vented his anger, Claire turned her attention to Bender, who was occupying his time by clicking a ball point pen on and off to the beat of a song that she didn't recognise. She watched him for a while, smiling at how he seemed blissfully unaware of her presence. She ran her eyes over his body, coming to rest at his feet. His dark jeans were torn all the way up to the knee on one leg, she noticed, and held together by a few safety pins. Turning her face back to the front of the classroom, Claire slipped off one of her satin pumps so that one foot was bare. She discreetly ran her toe along the exposed skin near where his jeans met the top of his boots. She felt his eyes on her immediately and the clicking suddenly stopped. Satisfied, she put her foot back down on the floor and continued to stare toward the front of the room. She distinctly heard him mutter the word 'tease', and hoped to god that her cheeks hadn't gone red with the flush of embarrassment and anger that surged through her.

She was about to turn to him and tell him off when she suddenly felt something. Bender had taken his foot out of his own boot and was tracing a line down the side of her foot with his sock covered toe. Claire didn't look at him, but she smirked at the front of the classroom.

Slowly, tauntingly, his foot carried on its journey down the side of her foot to her heel, and around the back. He brought it to rest between her two feet, so that she could feel his leg entwined with hers all the way up to her knee. Claire looked down, but only with her eyes. They flickered briefly toward Vernon, but he was too busy tearing up the paper Jaynee had been doodling on and yelling at her some more, so they went back down.

Then, just as slowly, Bender let his hand drop under the table, where his fingers began to trace ever so delicate circles on her exposed knee. Claire felt her breath catch in her throat and hoped he hadn't heard it.

He had. That tiny sound reminded Bender who he was dealing with. A girl so pure, so pristine, that the touch of his fingers on her skin was enough to provoke a response. He turned his face to look at her, and saw she still had her face toward the front of the room. But her eyes were cast down, her breathing low and careful. Gently, he moved his fingers northwards only slightly, so that he was now tracing circles on her thigh. Finally, she turned her face toward him and looked into his eyes.

Nothing could have prepared Bender for the impact of that look. His first response would have been to move his hand further, but he knew she wouldn't allow it, no matter how good it felt. He knew this, and didn't move his hand, because he couldn't face not touching her. He felt like all of his internal organs had knotted up inside of him. He didn't understand this feeling and it unsettled him. It must have been evident on his face as well because Claire frowned at him questioningly. Disturbed, he turned his head away again, back to where Vernon was just finishing with Jaynee. Vernon went back to his desk and Jaynee stuck her tongue out behind his face, her tongue stud glinting.

Claire sighed in confusion just as Vernon asked who needed to use the bathroom. Claire didn't, and stayed put. Everyone else in the room except Bender raised their hands. Vernon stood up.

"One wrong move when I'm gone Bender…" he warned, "Just one." Pointing his finger in that irritatingly rude way that he had perfected over the years. "You hear me?"

"I hear ya Dick." Bender said, his voice and his manner not displaying any of the odd expression that had crossed his features seconds before. Everyone got up and followed Vernon out, leaving Claire and Bender alone in silence.

Bender didn't do anything when the door closed. Claire had expected him to leap up and vandalise something at least. He just stared at the closed door.

She reached under the table for his hand and covered it with hers so that his palm was flat against her thigh. Now it was his turn for a sharp intake of breath as his fingers were pressed into the flesh that he wanted more than anything.

He turned to look at her again, and met her eyes. She saw something strange in them that she had never seen in any eyes before, and she didn't know exactly what it was. If she had looked into his eyes just after they kissed last week she would have seen something similar, but she hadn't. Now it had had a week to grow in intensity, and what she saw was so unfamiliar that it scared her.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice no louder than a whisper. Bender swallowed heavily, his eyes flickering down to her lips and back up to her eyes.

"What the hell have you done to me?" He said, a look of total disbelief on his face. He felt something surging through his veins that made his whole body ache, and he had no idea what was happening to him. He'd looked at girls before, at close proximity and felt something… usually in his pants, but this was totally unfamiliar and alien to him. Claire didn't say anything. She didn't know what the hell he was talking about, so she couldn't really respond. Instead, she leaned in closer to him and brushed her lips up against his.

It was the gentlest, sweetest kiss Bender had ever tasted, softer so than last Saturday's, because he knew that then part of her had been trying to annoy her father waiting in the car. As he felt her start to pull away, he felt like his whole world had suddenly come crashing down and so he tore away first, not only from her lips but from all contact. Bender stood up and paced across the room, only turning round when he felt at a safe distance. When Claire looked up at him she was surprised to see that he looked scared. Terrified in fact.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, beginning to feel a little stupid. After all, she had just kissed him and he had practically run away.

"Why did you give me your earring?" He demanded, his eyes still flashing with fear. She didn't answer for a moment. "Why did you give it to me?" He said again, louder and more desperate.

Claire stuttered, "I… I don't know… I just…"

"Is it a substitute? A concessions prize?" He ran his hands through his hair, "Did you give me it to remind me of what I can't have?"

Claire was speechless. She stared at him in disbelief. "I gave it to you because…" She paused. "Because… I guess I didn't know what would happen on Monday. I was scared that nothing would change." She swallowed. "You said you never throw anything away. Well… I thought if I gave you my earring then you'd always know. No matter what happened."

"Know what?"

"That I care about you." Claire looked down at her feet. "That someone really cares about you." He didn't say anything so she carried on. "I can't be one of those girls in your wallet John." She said, her voice breaking and her eyes filling up with tears. "I'm sorry."

Bender didn't get a chance to respond because at that moment, the other detention students re-entered the room followed closely by Vernon, who immediately attacked John for being out of his seat. For once, Bender had no smart remarks, no comebacks. He simply sat down next to Jaynee and stared blankly ahead of him. Vernon was about to start a tirade about moving seats, but when he saw the tears running mercilessly down Claire's cheeks he decided against it.

Vernon left them after a while for a lunch break, satisfied that they had behaved enough to be left alone. He didn't know what was wrong with Bender, but he didn't care so long as it kept him quiet. He hoped, whatever it was, that it was hurting him too.

As soon as Vernon left the room, Bender leapt up and headed straight for the back of the room. Jaynee shouted after him but he ignored her. She turned her attention to Claire who didn't look at her.

Jaynee got up and resumed her seat on the table next to Claire as she took out her lunch. She watched as Claire dribbled dressing over a fresh tossed salad with a look of utmost concentration on her face. Jaynee took a Babyruth bar out of her jacket pocket and unwrapped it slowly, her eyes never leaving Claire. Eventually, Claire looked up.

"I'm not telling you what happened." Claire said, rattled, "Go ask him if you want to know so bad."

"I will." Jaynee said, taking a bite out of her chocolate bar. "When I've finished my lunch."

Claire looked at the chocolate bar sceptically. "That's your lunch?" She asked, her eyebrows raised. Jaynee shrugged.

"I travel light." She devoured the rest of the chocolate in seconds, screwed the wrapper up and tossed it over her shoulder. "How you getting home?" She asked, "Need a ride?"

"No, thank you." Claire was surprised. "Andy- my friend- he's got a wrestling meet this afternoon and said he'd give me a ride home afterwards."

Jaynee nodded before sliding off the table and heading to the back of the room.

For the rest of the afternoon Claire sat alone at the front of the library with her head in her hands. Now and then her fingers would brush the diamond stud in her ear, which brought fresh tears to her eyes. As she sat there she had plenty of time to think, and all of her thoughts focussed on John Bender. What had scared him away so much? She couldn't work it out. The more she thought about him the more she scared herself. She felt her heart ache every time she heard his voice from the back of the room. She couldn't work out what he was saying but it made her tremble every time. She shifted in her seat and shuddered when she felt the fabric of his long grey coat against her skin from where he had draped it over the chair next to her. That was the point when she began fantasising about telling her friends to back off and let her make her own choices; when she started to wonder what it would be like to kiss John Bender goodnight, and wake up in his arms; when she started to wonder what it would be like to fall in love with him.

She knew it was foolish of course. She knew it could never happen because he didn't believe in one guy-one girl, and he wasn't about to change his lifestyle for her. She realised that she would be willing to give up more than she had ever thought possible to be with him, but she couldn't count on him feeling the same. He couldn't feel the same. He was John Bender. But then again, who was she to judge him? Wasn't that what their Breakfast Club was all about? She had been seeing things so much clearer since that Saturday, and she liked it that way. It made her feel good, like a better person.

When Vernon came back into the room, Bender and Jaynee were back in their seats and Jaynee had managed to jot down something that made Vernon smirk when he read it, before telling her he expected her back next week. Jaynee rolled her eyes and flounced out of the room. Claire looked up hoping to catch Bender's eye, but he just brushed off Vernon's lapel, said "Pleasure doing business with you Dick," and disappeared after Jaynee scooping up his coat as he went and not so much as glancing at Claire.

The other students filed out slowly and Claire finally picked up her bag and trailed after them.

She trudged down the corridors and outside, where she headed to the bleachers to wait for Andy to finish his competition. She didn't feel much like talking to anyone, so she hoped he won so that he would have something to enthuse about all the way home. She looked over to the gym building, but the doors were still closed so she assumed the meet was still going on.

Claire hugged her coat around her and bit her lip, wanting nothing more than to be on her own bed in her own room, away from the world. Out of habit her eyes flickered across the field, and then she saw him.

Standing at the far end of the sports field, she saw a figure in a long grey coat lighting up a cigarette. Tears stung her eyes as she watched him, unsure of why he was there. He was holding something in his hand that was flaming; he had just lit his cigarette off of it. It looked to be a wad of paper or something. The burning paper still in his hand and the cigarette in his mouth, he used his spare hand to beckon her to him.

Had it been anyone else, Claire would have told them to come to her, or flipped them the bird. As she stood up and began to walk down the steps and onto the field, she felt the tears that had been threatening to fall start to trickle down her cheeks.

He just stood there waiting, the same old smirk on his face that she had come to know over the last week. She knew it, and she knew it was just masking something deeper. She got closer to him and he took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew the smoke out to the side of him to avoid her. When the smoke was gone her threw the practically new cigarette down on the floor and stood on it. That was when her eyes were drawn to the makeshift match in his hand.

She watched them burn. Faces and phone numbers and addresses. As he dropped his list of 'girlfriends' to the ground and stamped his foot heavily down on it, his smirk became a genuine smile, and Claire felt her heart leap up to her throat.

Biting back a more tears, she reached up and brushed the hair that covered his bruised eye behind his ear… and that was when she saw it for the first time.

In the top part of his ear, hidden by his long hair, was her diamond earring. It sparkled in the sunlight. Claire couldn't hold it back any longer, and a heavy sob escaped her lips, racking through her body. His eyes were glistening too, and he sniffed loudly and blinked a few times before he could trust himself to touch her. He placed his hands on her hips and rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes so that he could only hear her staggered breaths and gasps from crying.

"I thought you'd taken it out." She whispered, her eyes tightly closed. He shook his head and pulled away from her slightly, so that he could see her face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her cheeks blotchy from the tears, and still he couldn't believe how beautiful she was. To him, she was the most beautiful sight in the world, and her emotions were all part of that. She had been the only girl to ever spark anything so powerful as what he felt for her, and he was convinced that no one else even knew how.

"What happens on Monday?" He asked, his voice low and quiet. Claire surprised them both my giving a snort of laughter.

"Fuck Monday." She said, sniffing and choking on her words. She laughed, "Fuck them all."

Bender grinned at her and lifted his hands to her face, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up on her toes for the best kiss of her life. Bender wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up and spun her round. She broke away from his lips, laughing. He put her back down on the ground and kissed her forehead.

"Claire!" A voice cut through into their world and both their heads snapped round to locate the source. Andy was standing half way across the field. Allison (dressed in regular jeans and a white t-shirt) was a few paces behind him. Andy looked rather uncomfortable. "Uh… did you need a ride?"

Claire looked back to Bender who shook his head at Andy. "Don't worry Sporto, I'll have her home by midnight."

Andy rolled his eyes and gave them a wave before leaving the sports field hand in hand with Allison.

Bender turned his attention back to Claire. "So there's this heavy metal vomit party tonight I was thinking of attending…" He laughed at the look of horror on her face. "Or not." He said, running his fingers through her hair.

"You'll mess up my hair." She warned. He smirked.

"Do you care?"

She shook her head. "Not really, no."

"Good, because it's pretty fucked already. And your makeup's halfway down your face." Claire's eyes widened and she smacked his arm.

"Is this the way it's going to be now?" She asked, "You insulting me at every given moment?"

"You didn't let me finish." Bender said, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist and pulling her closer. "I was going to say; your makeup's halfway down your face… but you look beautiful."

Claire pressed her lips against his and kissed him hungrily. He didn't need telling twice and responded by kissing her deeply, running his hands down her back. They were interrupted by the sounds of tires screeching and a very badly tuned car horn.

"Hey love birds!" Jaynee was hanging out of the window of her VW, having just destroyed the perfectly laid turf of the sports field. "Anybody need a ride?"

"Where to?" Bender asked, still holding onto Claire.

"Wherever!" Jaynee kicked open the passenger door. "Come on, we've still got another seven hours and forty five minutes of our Saturday left to enjoy!"

Bender turned to Claire; "You wanna go see how the other half lives Princess?" She nodded and he grinned widely. In one swift movement Bender picked her up so that he held her in his arms as if they were newly weds stepping over the threshold of a new life. Jaynee whooped and honked her horn as Bender carried Claire over to the car. The three of them squeezed into the front and Jaynee revved her engine, making skid marks in the turf and speeding off the field and into Saturday night.


End file.
